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Australia’s best road trips
Which road trips are perfect for families, couples, and solo travellers?
Planning a road trip can be overwhelming, especially when you’re juggling the needs of the kids or mapping out a solo adventure. Australia has no shortage of iconic and scenic routes, stretching from rugged coastlines to quiet country highways, but knowing which road trips are best suited for families, a romantic escape, or a journey on your own can feel like a whole different challenge.
To help you decide which road trip is best for you and your companions, the car insurance comparison experts at iSelect analysed over twenty popular road trips across a range of travel-relevant metrics, including attractions, accommodation quality, weather, safety, road amenities, social sentiment, mobile coverage and visual popularity.
So, which trips should you put on your bucket list? Buckle up, and we will tell you!
The best family road trips
When you’re planning a family road trip, it’s worth looking beyond just the scenery; you want a route that’s easy, comfortable and reassuring. That’s why the Great Ocean Road sits top of the list, with full mobile coverage, more hospitals per 100 km than any other route, good rest-stop availability at 4.81 per 100 km and mild average temperatures. The Great Ocean Road also scores strongly for family attractions, which include koala spotting and rainforest adventures, so you can keep the kids entertained along the route.
Not far behind are the Cape to Cape and the South West Edge road trips in Western Australia, which offer something different for families. Both have great rest-stop availability, manageable summer climates and low rainfall. Mobile coverage is also excellent, and family attractions are plentiful, with stunning beaches and national parks on hand to explore.
Of course, not every scenic route gives you practical “family‑ready” comfort. Remote or rugged adventures, such as Nullarbor Plain or Gibb River Road, offer great adventure, but limited mobile coverage and sparse infrastructure make them less than ideal when you have little ones in tow.
The most romantic road trips
Australia has some road trips that are perfect for couples: relaxed, scenic, and full of those little moments that make memories. At the top of the list is the Great Ocean Road. The route offers romantic places to stay, stunning sunrises and sunsets, and dramatic coastal views that show up everywhere online. With mild temperatures, low rainfall, and lots of rest stops, it’s hard to beat for comfort and ambience.
Then there’s the Sydney to Melbourne coastal drive, where intimate stays, sweeping ocean views, stunning sunsets and charming romantic restaurants all come together. If you want a shorter route around the same area, the Legendary Pacific Coast Drive might be best for you and your partner. The route ranks third thanks to beautiful sunsets, welcoming stays, and charming restaurants.
Cape to Cape and Great Beach Drive are standouts for food and scenery, with Cape to Cape scoring highly for romantic restaurants, while the Great Beach Drive boasts a high score for both accommodation and places to eat. The Epicurean Way also makes a great choice for couples who love exploring through food and ambience, with high scores across these factors as well.
The best solo road trips
The Legendary Pacific Coast tops the list for solo travellers looking to explore Australia by car. With full phone coverage, a strong solo accommodation rating, and lots of individual-friendly attractions, this route gives you confidence that you’ll be both comfortable and entertained. Add reliable rest‑stop density, excellent hospital access, a steady average temperature of 21.86°C, and moderate rainfall of 4.90 mm, and it’s easy to see why this one ranks highest with an Index Score of 79.98.
Hot on its heels is the Great Ocean Road, proving its ability to entertain all types of travellers. Full coverage, great solo attractions (like exploring the 12 Apostles), and well-trodden paths make it perfect for solo travellers wanting to explore safely.
Then there’s the Cape to Cape, less famous than the big two, but worth a serious look. Its standout rest‑stop availability, full phone coverage, and comfortable average temperature of 19.79°C make it practical for solo travellers. In addition to this, good solo accommodation and a moderate solo‑attraction score show a solid balance of adventure and accessibility.
“Our analysis shows that choosing the right road trip isn’t just about chasing the prettiest coastline, it’s about finding routes that support a safe, smooth and enjoyable journey. When you factor in things like mobile coverage, hospital access, rest-stop density and weather conditions, the differences between routes become far more meaningful for families, couples and solo travellers alike.
“Some drives offer stunning views but limited infrastructure, while others strike the right balance between scenery and safety. That balance matters because being prepared on the road, especially in unfamiliar areas, reduces stress and lowers the risk of something going wrong. With Australia’s vast distances and varied conditions, understanding these metrics helps travellers pick routes that are not only memorable but also comfortable and well-supported from start to finish.
“And of course, having car insurance can be crucial when you’re heading out on a road trip. Even the best-planned journey can come with unexpected bumps, from accidents and breakdowns to weather-related damage, and being insured means you’re protected financially if things don’t go to plan. It can give travellers added peace of mind, knowing that they may be covered no matter where the road takes them.”
Adrian Bennett
General Manager – General Insurance at iSelect
Written by:
Sarah Grealy
Digital Public Relations Specialist
0413 363 690
Sarah is our Digital Public Relations Specialist, and brings more than a decade of experience in the insurance comparison industry to iSelect.
With a passion for storytelling through data-driven insights, Sarah strives to empower Aussies with practical guides and tips.
About the data
To identify Australia’s best road trips for families, couples and solo travellers, we analysed 22 of the most popular Australian road trips. Each route was measured across a wide range of travel-relevant metrics, including attractions, accommodation quality, weather, safety, road amenities, social sentiment, mobile coverage and visual popularity.
Each category was scored using a transparent weighting system tailored to family, romantic and solo travel priorities. All metrics were normalised to a consistent 0–100 scale to ensure fair comparison between routes with very different characteristics. Importantly, major capital city CBDs were excluded from all datasets to prevent urban hubs from inflating scores for routes that begin or end near large cities.
Metrics and Weighting
| Family Road Trips | |||
| Metric | Measure | Reason for inclusion | Weighting |
| Family attractions | Weighted average attraction score based on count of places, attraction type, average rating and review type | Families care most about having lots of fun, family-friendly things to do along the way, so we gave the highest weight to the quality and density of family attractions. | 25% |
| Rest stops | Count of rest stops per 100km | Frequent rest stops are essential for family breaks, snacks and toilet stops, so routes with more stop options score higher. | 12% |
| Traffic conditions | Congestion score | Lighter congestion makes long drives less stressful for parents and kids, so traffic plays a meaningful role in how family-friendly a route feels. | 12% |
| Social sentiment | Social sentiment score based on total opinions and average sentiment | Rewarding routes that people talk about positively online, reflecting real travellers’ family experiences and opinions. | 10% |
| Phone coverage | Distance of road trip with phone coverage | Good phone coverage helps families navigate, stay entertained and feel safe in case of emergencies. | 10% |
| Hospitals | Count of hospitals per 100 km | Ready access to medical facilities is a key safety factor for families travelling with children. | 10% |
| Temperature | Average temperature (°C) | Comfortable average temperatures make outdoor activities and long drives more enjoyable for kids and parents alike. | 8% |
| Rainfall | Average rainfall (mm) | Lower rainfall improves the chances of good weather for playgrounds, beaches and outdoor attractions. | 8% |
| Social media | Count of Instagram and TikTok posts per km | Social media activity per km acts as a softer signal of how visually appealing and shareable a road trip is for families. | 5% |
| Romantic Road Trips | |||
| Metric | Measure | Reason for inclusion | Weighting |
| Romantic accommodation | Weighted average romantic accommodation score based on average rating and review count and romantic relevance | Romantic getaways revolve around where you stay, so we heavily weigh highly rated, romantic-leaning accommodation along the route. | 22% |
| Sunrise/sunset | Weighted average sunset/sunrise score based on number of spots, popularity (average rating and review count), versatility (sunrise and/or sunset) and quality | Iconic sunrise and sunset spots are classic romantic moments, so we reward routes with more and better-rated scenic viewpoints. | 21% |
| Social sentiment | Social sentiment score based on total opinions and average sentiment | We incorporate how positively people talk about the route overall, capturing the “romantic reputation” in real travellers’ words. | 13% |
| Romantic restaurants | Weighted average romantic restaurants score based on average rating and review count and romantic relevance | Great date-night dining options amplify the romantic feel of a trip, so restaurant quality and relevance get a dedicated weight. | 11% |
| Social media | Count of Instagram and TikTok posts per km | Highly photographed routes tend to offer more “wow” moments and picturesque backdrops for couples’ trips. | 9% |
| Rest stops | Count of rest stops per 100km | Regular places to pull over, explore and enjoy the scenery help couples turn the drive itself into part of the experience. | 9% |
| Temperature | Average temperature (°C) | Pleasant temperatures make it easier to enjoy alfresco dining, walks and outdoor romantic activities. | 9% |
| Rainfall | Average rainfall (mm) | Lower rainfall improves the chances of clear skies for sunsets, stargazing and outdoor dates. | 6% |
| Solo Road Trips | |||
| Metric | Measure | Reason for inclusion | Weighting |
| Phone coverage | Distance of road trip with phone coverage | For solo travellers, staying connected for navigation, safety and communication is critical, so coverage gets a high weight. | 18% |
| Solo accommodation | Weighted average solo accommodation score based on average rating and review count and solo relevance | Safe, comfortable and well-reviewed places to stay are especially important when travelling alone. | 18% |
| Solo attraction | Weighted average attraction score based on count of places average rating, number of reviews and solo suitability | We reward routes that offer plenty of interesting, solo-friendly things to see and do along the way. | 15% |
| Social sentiment | Social sentiment score based on total opinions and average sentiment | Positive online sentiment reflects how enjoyable and welcoming a route feels to real travellers, including those going solo. | 10% |
| Rest stops | Count of rest stops per 100km | Frequent rest and service stops give solo drivers more flexibility to take breaks and manage fatigue safely. | 10% |
| Social media | Count of Instagram and TikTok posts per km | High levels of user-generated content suggest a visually engaging, discoverable route that solo travellers love to share. | 8% |
| Temperature | Average temperature (°C) | Comfortable temperatures matter for solo travellers who are often more active, exploring on foot or spending time outdoors. | 8% |
| Hospitals | Count of hospitals per 100 km | Access to medical facilities is a meaningful safety consideration for anyone travelling alone, particularly in remote areas. | 7% |
| Rainfall | Average rainfall (mm) | Lower rainfall improves driving conditions and supports more flexible, spontaneous exploration. | 6% |
Notes on the Data
Social sentiment
We collected real traveller opinions from a wide network of Australian Reddit communities, analysing posts and top-level comments to capture genuine experiences, advice and impressions. Text was evaluated using the VADER sentiment model, which is designed for social-media language, and scores were converted to a consistent scale. Routes with no online discussions were assigned the minimum sentiment score to reflect their lack of public visibility.
Social media posts
Instagram and TikTok posts were counted using route-specific hashtags and major attraction geotags. To prevent highly popular routes from overwhelming the results, posts per kilometre were log-transformed before being normalised.
Traffic congestion
We used the Google Maps Directions API to compare free-flow travel times with typical in-traffic travel times at several representative departure windows. The ratio of these times created a congestion factor, which was converted into a congestion score. Routes without traffic data, usually those containing remote or unsealed sections, received a conservative low-congestion estimate based on the least congested measured routes.
Weather
Ten years of historical summer data from Open-Meteo were analysed across multiple sampled points on each route. Temperature scores used an asymmetric bell curve favouring warm but comfortable conditions, while rainfall scores rewarded drier routes with more predictable weather.
Rest stops
Rest stops were identified using the National Formal Rest Areas dataset. All stops within 2 km of each road trip route were counted and categorised, including facilities such as toilets, shade and water. The normalised scores were based on the final measure, expressed as stops per 100 km.
Family attractions
Family-friendly attractions were identified through Google Places API and filtered to remove capital city CBDs. Each attraction received a weighted score based on its rating, review count and a type-based relevance multiplier. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average attraction score with the total number of family-suitable places.
Sunrise and sunset spots
Scenic sunrise and sunset locations were collected using the Google Places API and evaluated for popularity, scenic relevance, horizon visibility and versatility for both sunrise and sunset. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average scenic score with the total number of suitable viewpoints. Routes with no detected spots (Gibb River Road, Red Centre Way, Savannah Way and Tasmania’s Western Wilds) were assigned the lowest non-zero values and a minimal count of one.
Romantic accommodation
Accommodation options along each route were analysed for romantic suitability using ratings, review volume and romance-related keywords found in names and top reviews. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average romantic accommodation score with the total number of suitable places. Epicurean Way, which returned no qualifying stays due to strict search filters, was assigned the median romantic accommodation score from all other routes.
Romantic restaurants
Romantic restaurants were detected using a combination of rating-based signals, venue metadata and review analysis for romantic keywords. Both quality and romantic suitability contributed to each restaurant’s final score. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average romantic restaurant score with the total number of suitable dining venues. Remote routes with no qualifying restaurants (Gibb River Road and Nullarbor Plain) were assigned the lowest non-zero restaurant values and a minimal count of one.
Mobile phone coverage
Mobile coverage was calculated using ACCC mobile tower locations. Each road trip was represented by thousands of sample points, and each point was tested for proximity to Telstra, Optus and TPG towers within a realistic 15 km range. The final score reflects the proportion of each route with reliable mobile service.
Hospitals along the route
Hospital locations were mapped to each road trip by calculating distances from every sampled coordinate to nearby health facilities. The final measure reflects the number of hospitals per 100 km along each route.
Solo accommodation
Solo accommodation was evaluated using a combined Quality Score and Solo Suitability Score based on review content and solo-travel keywords. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average solo accommodation score with the total number of suitable places. Routes with no qualifying solo-friendly stays (Gibb River Road, Grand Pacific Drive, Nullarbor Plain, Red Centre Way, The Great Alpine Road) were assigned lower quartile values and a minimal count of one, acknowledging the absence of detected stays without overstating poor performance.
Solo attractions and activities
Solo-friendly attractions were identified using search keywords related to independent activities such as lookouts, walking trails, wildlife encounters, kayaking, galleries and nightlife. Relevance was scored using name and review keyword matches and proximity to the route. We then calculated a weighted category score for each road trip by weighting the maximum and average solo attraction score with the total number of suitable places. Routes with no detected solo attractions (Great Beach Drive, Nullarbor Plain, The Great Eastern Drive) received the lowest non-zero values and a minimal count of one before normalisation.
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At iSelect, we’re passionate about making Aussies’ lives easier by saving them time, effort and money. We are Australia’s go-to destination for comparison across insurance, utilities and personal finance products made available from our range of providers. Our service is provided at no cost to the customer.
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